If you have suffered a work injury in South Carolina, there are a few key steps you should take.
Report Your Injury
If you are hurt at work in South Carolina, you should report your injury as soon as possible. You have 90 days from the time of the incident to make a report to your employer or you risk being denied benefits.
The sooner you report the injury, the better. A long delay can raise questions about whether your injury is really work-related or whether you’re exaggerating the extent of your damages.
Receive Medical Care
You should get prompt medical attention when you suffer an injury at work.
Your employer has the right to select your doctor when you are making a workers’ compensation claim. However, you can choose any approved doctor if your employer offers multiple options. You may also be able to request a second opinion or a switch to a different doctor if you are dissatisfied with the care you are receiving.
Getting prompt medical attention can help you to minimize the damage resulting from your injuries. It can also make it easier to prove that you really suffered the damage you’re claiming, since your doctor will keep medical records.
Document Your Impairments
If you want to maximize your workers’ compensation benefits, it’ll be up to you to prove how severely you’re disabled and show how your disability impacts your ability to work. As a result, it’s important to ensure your injuries are documented.
You should report all symptoms and medical issues to your doctor so those details become part of your medical records. You may also wish to consider keeping a pain journal. You can use this to show how your injuries affect your quality of life and your ability to perform routine daily tasks.
Get Legal Help
Workers’ compensation claims can be complicated, especially as employers and insurers often have incentive to try to deny legitimate claims or to pay as little as possible.
You should make sure you have a trusted advocate on your side to help you through the process of navigating your workers’ comp claim and protecting your legal rights.
Your workers’ compensation attorney can assist with issues that may arise such as questions about how severely your injuries have impacted you. If you want to settle your workers’ comp claim, your lawyer can also work to negotiate a fair offer from the insurer and can assist you in understanding what your case is worth so you don’t accept less money than you should.
If you still have questions about South Carolina workers’ compensation laws, check out some answers to FAQs below.